Roll setting combination and method

ABSTRACT

A TEST DEVICE FOR TENSION SETTING PRINTING PRESS AND LIKE ROLLERS, COMPRISING A TEST SHIM STRIP INSERTED BETWEEN THE ROLLERS, A SPRING RESTRAINED SLIDE ASSEMBLY IN A HAND MANIPULATABLE HOUSING AND CARRYING A STRIP GRIPPING JAW ASSEMBLY, PARALLEL HOUSING SLOTS RESPECTIVELY FOR A FRICTION SNUBBED MARKER SLIDE ENCOUNTERED AND ADVANCED BY THE JAW SLIDE UPON TENSION APPLIED TO THE STRIP AND A LOCKABLE SLIDE PRESETTABLE TO INDICATE A DESIRED TENSION BY COINCIDENCE OF THE SLIDE POSITIONS. FOR LONG ROLLERS, RESPECTIVE SHIM STRIPS INSERTED NEAR OPPOSITE ROLL ENDS ARE RELEASABLY ENGAGABLE BY AN ELEMENT GRIPPED IN THE JAW ASSEMBLY FOR EXPEDITIONS ALTERNATE TENSION MEASUREMENT UPON THE STRIPS LEFT IN PLACE AS ADJUSTMENTS ARE ALTERNATELY MADE AT OPPOSITE ROLLER ENDS.

Jan. 19, 1971 H. P. SCHMEDT 3,555,895

ROLL SETTING COMBINATION AND METHOD Filed June 21, 1968 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HARRY P SCHMIDT ATTORNEYS Jam. 19, 1971 H. P. SCHMIDT ROLL SETTING COMBINATION AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jurie 21. 195s INVENTOR HARRY P. SCHMIDT ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,555,895 ROLL SETTING COMBINATION AND METHOD Harry P. Schmidt, Jackson Heights, N.Y., assignor to The J. E. Doyle Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 21, 1968, Ser. No. 739,020 7 Int. Cl. G01l 1/04 U.S. Cl. 73-,-141 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A test device for tension setting printing press and like rollers, comprising a test shim strip inserted between the rollers, a spring restrained slide assembly in a hand manipulatable housing and carrying a strip gripping jaw assembly; parallel housing slots respectively for a friction snubbed marker slide encountered and advanced by the jaw slide upon tension applied to the strip and a lockable slide presettable to indicate a desired tension by coincidence of the slide positions. For long rollers, respective shim strips inserted near opposite roll ends are releasably engageable by an element gripped in the jaw assembly for expeditious alternate tension measurement upon the strips left in place as adjustments are alternately made at opposite roller ends.

The present invention relates generally to setting of paired rollers or cylinders; and more particularly to the combination, with a pair of cooperating rollers of which the setting is to be adjusted, of cooperating means whereby a relative setting of the rollers is achieved, to components thereof and to a method for establishing proper spacing or tension-setting of such rolls.

Machines or apparatus in many industries require accurately spaced rollers adjustably mounted with axes parallel, such as inking rolls, driving rollers, or stock feed rolls, or feed tapes and opposed roller between which rollers individual sheets or continuous strips or webs of material such as paper, plastic films, metal foils or like forms of other materials are passed, the effective spacing between which has to be accurately adjusted or set for each run of stock or material differing in thickness from the last. The setting of these can be adjusted by reference to the tension exerted in causing a test stock strip of paper or shim stock to slip from frictional engagement with the opposed rolls or roll and tapes.

Considering, for example, paper feed rolls in a folding machine, in setting for a run, the operator will set the spacing between the rolls to handle the particular stock or paper of the job by adjusting through mechanical devices on the machine the relative spacing between the axes of the rollers, so that a proper clearance between the opposed roll surfaces is attained to effectively and frictionally engage the particular stock therebetween. Similarly in preparing a printing press for a run, the pressman will usually have to adjust the setting of opposed inking rollers. In making such adjustment or setting it is common practice for the pressman or the operator to engage a sample or testing strip of the material or stock between the rolls, and then grasping the strip by his fingers to pull on the strip to withdraw it from between the rolls, judging what adjustments are to be made in the setting by feel of the force required to withdraw the stock. Appropriate adjustment is made mechanically, the test is repeated and so on until through the experienced hand it is determined that a proper roll setting has been attained. Likewise in adjusting the setting between inking or other rollers not meant to engage sheet stock, a similar procedure is used with a testing paper strip or thin metal shim stock of appropriate thickness.

By the present invention there is provided a temporary combination with such rollers of a test strip and manually held device which provides a visible test reading or indiice cation to guide the operator in attaining the proper settlng, eliminating need of reliance upon finger tension sensing and interpreting skill and experience as in prior entirely manual feel procedures. It is another object of the invention to provide a hand manipulated device by which, in combination with a sample strip or testing strip of paper or other thin shim stock entered between rollers to be set, the operator can make roller setting changes until a reading is indicated on the device predetermined to be appropriate. It is a still further object to provide means for the above-mentioned purposes, adapted as well for application in adjusting the comparatively long rollers which are now more frequently appearing in press and analogous equipment. 1

A still further object is the provision of an improved method for setting rolls of the character described. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation showing the general environment of and mode of application of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view in schematic form generally corresponding to FIG. 1, but showing use of particular means and method for use of the device of FIGS. 5 and 6 in adjustment of long rollers;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail side view partially in section;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an element taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view partially in section of a gauge device embodying certain aspects of and suitable for carrying out the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 5 with certain portions broken away.

A schematic representation of the environment of application of the invention and the primary aspect of the roll setting method here of concern is given in FIG. 1, wherein the parallel rollers A and B have shafts mounted in a machine frame; S represents a spacing test strip or sample, for example, of paper stock to be handled in the machine when adjusted, or as hereinafter assumed for description, a test strip of thin spring metal sheet or shim stock; the strip having a free outer end engaged between the rolls A and B, and the other end gripped in the pin assembly 13 of a testing device D, hereinafter described, held by the hand H of an operator or pressman. At least one roll shaft is, or both roll shafts may be, shiftable relative to the frame whereby the spacing of the roll axes, therefore the spacing between the roll cylindrical surfaces and contact pressure on stock therebetween may be effectively varied by suitable mechanical adjustments of means on the machine.

In FIG. 2 again the environment of use is schematically shown in top plan corresponding generally to FIG. 1; but considering the rollers as comparatively long, with further means appearing in detail in FIGS. 34, whereby the test device D of FIGS. 56 may be quickly used alternately to engage test shim strips S, S, left engaged be-- tween the rollers near opposite ends during the course of roller adjustment, as hereinafter described. In the drawings the thickness of the test strip or shim stock is exaggerated for clarity.

The test device D has the general form indicated in FIGS. 56, comprising a body 10 providing a slideway for a reading-holding index or marker slide or indicator 11; a spring-retracted slide rod 32 on its outer right end carrying a test strip clamping jaw assembly 13 and having on its inner end means engageable with marker 11; a series pair of helical slide-retracting springs 40 and 40a, inter-posed between a right end wall of the body and the Slide rod inner end; and preferably an adjustable marker 27.

Here the major part of the body 10, housing a slide rod 32 for jaw assembly 13 and associated spring means 40, 40a, is a tube 1011 of rectangular cross-section closed at its front by an inserted block 37 as a front wall serving as a sliding support for rod 32 and secured by screws 30 passed through the tube side walls; preferably also closed at its back end by welded or screw-secured wall 31.

Extending back from the front end about half its length, the body 10 includes an integral rectangular tubular portion 10k. In part 10k, the side walls are provided as continuations of the side walls of, and the bottom wall is provided by the underlying portion of top wall 10t of, the tube10lt centrally longitudinally slotted at 10p; and the top wall 10a, for accommodation of the indicator marker slide 11, has the central longitudinal slide slot 10b. One side wall, the right as viewed from the top, is also longitudinally slotted, providing a closed end slot 10d for the adjustable marker assembly 27. The back end of the top rectangular portion is preferably closed by a wall; and the front end, commonly with the lower tube, is closed by the block 37, for the reception of which the front part of wall 10t is cut back. For convenience in assembling the elements to be described, the slots 10b and 10p are simply machined straight out the front end, as they are effectively closed by block 37.

The indicator marker slide 11, for which is provided a set of calibration marks or graduated scale 10s, is a simple block slotted on its left side as viewed from above, so that it may be slid into the front end embracing the wall 10a at the left of slot 10b. The lower part of slide 11 beneath wall 10a extends beyond the upper part toward the inner face of the left body side wall with which it is frictionally engaged for position holding by means of suitable friction devices, such as respective compression spring biased steel balls in side bores of the slide at 11d. The graduations of scale 10s can but need not represent actual force units, as arbitrary divisions are quite suitable for many purposes.

The jaw assembly 13 is essentially comprised of a pair of jaw blocks 23, 24 each approximately semi-cylindrically recessed for embracing the end of the rod 32, in turn diametrically slotted at the jaw abutting plane to accommodate the test shim strip S, with one of the jaws pinned to the rod end. Here the lower block 24 is pinned to the projecting end of the slide rod 32, and is threaded to receive preferably two clamping screws 25, each passed through a corresponding aperture in movable block 23. Thus the end of a sample strip S, preferably end-slotted to accommodate or clear screws 25, as shown in FIG. 4 for the hereinafter described element 50, can be inserted and clamped between the opposed faces of the fixed block and the top block 23. Preferably the plane of the top face of 24 is substantially at the horizontal center plane of the main tubular portion of body 10 as viewed in FIG. 6, so that the strip S when stretched is aligned approximately with the plane of the lines of action or of the axes of the springs when the tension is applied.

The back inner end of rod 32 extends through and is slideably supported and guided by a guide slide block 38 slideable in the tube 1011 and retained by external contractile split ring 39 engaged in a circumferential rod groove. Gauge spring means of helical form are here shown comprised of a longer heavy spring 40 and a rear shorter spring 40a, interposed in series between the front fixed guide block 37 and ultimately guide block 38, on the rod 32 passing therethrough. Forward motion of the rod 32 is communicated to indicator slide 11 by an advancing element 41 comprised of an elongated flat portion 41a, immediately under and parallel to top wall 101 and having a front upwardly bent finger 41b projecting through slot 10;; to be engageable with the back of slide 11; and a downwardly bent apertured lug or base 410 on rod 32 firmly sandwiched between block 38 and a washer 42 by the thrust of the springs on the washer.

Thus the indicator slide 11 is advance-able to a position indicating the extent of the foremost advance of the slide rod. Such position is maintained by virtue of the frictional engagement with the body afforded through the above-described means, the frictional engagement permitting deliberate restoration of the indicator, e.g., to a zero position against 41b of the fully retracted slide assembly.

The test device D highly preferably includes further the adjustable marker 27 with a reference index line 27b, here shown as an inverted L-shaped right angle element embracing the top right side body edge to have its top plate portion 27a extend over body wall 10a toward but to clear the path of index slide element 11, for the purposes hereinafter explained. Marker 27 is secured with its index line 27b at selected position relative to scale 10s by a thumb nut 28 on a screw 29 extending through the longitudinal slot 10d in body the side wall behind which its head is engaged, and through marker side plate 270. Necessary clearance is easily provided between the inner end of slide 11 and the head of screw 29.

In the arrangement shown by FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the test shim means may be considered as a composite comprising a longer test shim piece S as one element and a short adapter element 50, which are quickly engageable with and disengageable from each other; or the jaw assembly 13 with adapter element 50 clamped therein may be viewed as test strip engaging means for the apertured shim strip. The adapted element 50 includes merely a short body portion 50a of spring metal shim stock and a projection or lug 51, engageable in an aperture 54 in the end of a respective shim test piece S projecting toward the operators working position as indicated in FIG. 2. The shim engaging lug or projection 51 is simply provided by an internally threaded hollow sleeve 51a, secured on the bottom of and near the front end of the body 50a by a screw 51b passed through an aperture on the body longitudinal center line. The opposite end of the thin plate-like body is notched at locations corresponding to and to accomodate jaw clamp screws 25. Thus the gauge may be used for test shim engagement either by direct clamping of the shim stock as in FIGS. 1, 5 or 6, or through adapter 50 as in FIGS. 2-3.

In manipulation, this test device has the decided advantage that the body can be turned relative to the clamp slide i.e. rod 32, therefore to the test shim strip, for better operator visibility of the indicator and refer ence slides 11, 27 relative to each other or to the scales or calibration marks. It also has certain advantages in assembly. The body is conveniently fabricated basically of extruded hollow, say aluminum, stock; for example, from a square hollow tube, for the main housing to which an inverted shallow channel and then the back walls are welded; followed by slot milling at 10b with 10p, and 10d; or beginning with a rectangular extrusion transversely webbed at wall 10!, removing the back portion above 10t, followed by rear end wall welding, and finally slot milling. In either case, the jaw assembly 13, front block 37, the springs, washer 42, slide advance element 41, block 38 and retainer ring 39, are subassembled; and, with slide assemblies 11 and 27 in place in the body, the sub-assembly merely slides into place in the housing to be then secured by screws 30.

For a series of tension ranges, either or both of the springs 40 and 40a in the device may be changed in an obvious manner. A spring metal shim strip is preferred, since not, as paper, liable to breakage.

For making a tension measurement of roller setting with one of these devices, the sample strip stock or testing shim strip as indicated in FIGS. 5-6, or the adaptor 50 as in FIGS. 2-3 is placed in the jaws, and clamped in position. The slide marker 11 is set to the extreme left up against the upwardly extending slide end formation 41]], and the shim strip is inserted between the rolls A and B. T hereupon tension is applied to the strip by the operator grasping the body as in FIG. 1, (first hooking pin 51a into shim aperture 54 where the adapter of FIGS. 2-3 is used) in a fashion permitting unobstructed movement of all elements to apply a smoothly increasing pull; and the strip is pulled until it begins to move out from between the rolls.

The displacement of the slide rod with spring compression, corresponding to the tension exerted on the test strip and hence the frictional forces of the rollers on the strip, is indicated by the displacement of and position of indicator slide 11. The indicator member 11 retains its position of displacement thereby achieved, even after slippage has occurred, thus in effect recording and greatly facilitating the reading, which would otherwise be fleeting and difiicult, if reliance were placed solely upon observation, as slippage begins, of the maximum displaced position ofa part of the slide rod 32 (or anything secured thereto) relative to the calibration marks or scale 10s.

Assuming, for example, that the operator has no previous knowledge of readings to he -attained with correct roller settings, and that more than one roller pair, as in a press, are to be set tothe same tension, the operator inserts a test shim S and finger-pulls it, as roller'adjustments are made, to get the desired tension. If the test shim is that of FIGS. -6, conveniently an extra test shim is so used, then "removed, and the tension reading taken with a like shim gripped in the jaws of the device D. More conveniently the test shim used would be of the form shown in FIGS. 2-3, so that the operator merely engages'it with the adapter projection to get a tension reading with the device D. v

The operator can then move the adjustable slide 27 into and secure it in the position of index mark coincidence with slide 11. Having set the slide 11 back towarda zero position, he inserts the shim strip into the next rollers, applies a withdrawing force to the gauge, making roller adjustments for such applied force, hence shim tension, as will bring the slide 11 into coincidence with slide 27, at its predetermined setting, and so proceeds from one roller set to another, so that all roller sets are adjusted to the same tension recorded and represented by the position in which slide 27 was thus locked.

Moreover, the test device has utility in other modes of use. Thus the operator may adjust rollers in his equipment by hand feel or experience to proper setting; measure or get the corresponding tension readings with the device; and tabulate or chart such readings for future use. Then knowing from such calibration or charts what scale reading with a given size of test strip should be obtained upon a correct adjustment of certain rollers, having set 27 to the appropriate known value, the operator may -;simply proceed with the insertion of test strip ,8 in such rollers, withdrawal. tension measurements, and roller adjiistment until the displacement of the marker slide 11 is precisely that predetermined value at which 27 is set, as easily observed by coincidence of the index marks on 11 and 27.

Where a pair of long rollers is being adjusted, usually involving multiple and alternating adjustments, with inserted shim stock checking, at least near opposite ends of the rollers, to avoid the difiiculties entailed were one test shim to beentirely removed from the rollers at one end and then inserted for test at the other end, advantageously two strips S may be used as indicated in FIG. 2, each being inserted and left between the rollers until the entire adjustment is completed, by a disengageable connection with the jaws of device D. Rather than repeatedly clamping and unclamping in the jaw assembly 13 alternately two test shims of the form appearing in and described for FIGS. 5-6, the composite test shim means of FIGS. 2 3 may be used quite advantageously. By this means, the separable shim test pieces S after insertion between the rollers, as in FIG. 2, may alternately be engaged by dropping 51a into the shim aperture for applying test tension to each through the device D for the adjustment purposes as previously described; the change from one to the other element S obviously =being quickly and easily made. Each strip S need :be withdrawn but a short distance for each incremental adjustment and then the operations shifted to the other, and so on until the job is completed. Then both shims S are completely removed.

I claim:

1. To aid the establishment of a proper setting relative to each other oftwo rolls having cooperating opposed surfaces of revolution by tensional gauging of frictional forces developed by the rolls on a test strip inserted therebetween, a test device comprising:

an elongated body with an open front end;

an elongated clamp slide having a front end projecting from the front end of the body and slideably guided by a fixed guide at the front end of the body;

spring means within the body operatively disposed between said body and said clamp slide and retracting the slide into said body;

test strip engaging means including strip clamping jaw means secured on the front end of said clamp slide externally of the body, said engaging means adapted to engage a test strip extending forwardly therefrom parallel to the length of said clamp slide whereby manual rearward pulling forces on said body are applied through said spring means and clamp slide tensionally to a said test strip engaged between said rolls; longitudinal slideway along the body including a longitudinal body slot opening into the body;

an indicator slide on said slideway cooperatively engageable through said slot with an element carried by said clamp slide and upon forward movement of the clamp slide moveable in a forward displacement equal to that of the slide and left in displaced position upon retraction of the clamp slide; and a test strip releasably held in said engaging means.

2. A device as described in claim 1, including a second longitudinal slideway and a reference slide therein presettable relative to the path of said indicator slide to represent a displacement of the indicator slide corresponding to a desired test tension.

3. A device as described in claim 2, including an index scale on the body associated with said second longitudinal slideway, said reference slide pre-settable relative to said scale to represent a displacement of the indicator slide corresponding to a desired test tension.

4. A device as described in claim 1, wherein said test strip is comprised of thin spring metal shim stock.

5. A device as described in claim 1, wherein said jaw means directly clamp one end of said test strip.

'6. A device as described in claim 1, with said strip engaging means further including a short adapter element of thin metal stock with one end ciamped directly in said jaw means and having near its other endja central short pin-like projection perpendicular thereto; and

said test strip comprised of thin spring metal shim stock having therethrough near one end a central aperture, with said pin-like projection removably inserted therein.

7. A device as described in claim 1,

said fixed guide com-prising an apertured front end wall of said body, said body being tubular;

said clamp slide being a rod slideable through the aperture of the front end wall and having secured on its inner end a guide slide slideable in piston-like manner in said body;

said spring means being helical compression spring means coaxially disposed on said rod with opposite ends thrusting on said wall and guide slide; means secured on the inner end of said rod and projecting through said slot to be engageable with said indicator slide upon forward movement.

8. A device as described in claim 7, having said front end wall removably secured to the front of said body.

9. A device as described in claim 8, wherein said rod,

fixed guide and slide guide slideably mount said strip engaging means rotatably relative to said body.

10. A device as described in claim 8, having said rod projecting through said slide guide and provided with an external slide guide retainer;

the means engageable with said indicator slide comprising an element having an apertured rear portion on said rod interposed between the slide guide and rear end of the helical spring means and having a front portion projecting through said slot for indicator slide engagement.

11. A device as described in claim 10, having on the forward portion of said tubular body a second tubular portion parallel to and having the slotted portion of the first tubular body as a common wall;

said second tubular portion having a slot substantially coextensive with and parallel to the first said slot; said indicator slide slideable in and projecting downwardly toward the second said slot.

12. A device as described in claim 11, wherein said second tubular portion has an additional longitudinal slot in parallel spaced relation to the said second slot, and a reference slide slideable therein pre-settable relative to said indicator slide to represent a displacement of the indicator slide corresponding to a desired test tension.

'13. A device as described in claim 12, having the first and second said slots carried out through the front edges of their respective tubular walls; said front end wall providing a common closure for both tubular structures for and the front ends of the first and second said slots.

14. A method for successively adjusting the spacing setting of opposed rollers to like spacing, in printing presses, thin sheet handling machines and the like, comprising the steps of:

in a first roller adjustment, inserting a thin test strip between rollers and decreasing the roller spacing until a desired frictional force is exerted on the test strip as evidenced by the withdrawing tension required to be exerted on the strip upon incipient slipping relative to the rollers, and recording such tension by its application through a recording device; and in subsequent roller adjustments inserting a like test strip betwen the rollers being adjusted, and, applying tension to the test strip through said device, setting the roller spacing until the previously recorded tension is attained upon incipient strip slippage.

15. To aid the establishment of a proper setting relative to each other of two rolls having cooperating opposed surfaces of revolution by tensional gauging of frictional 8 forces developed by the rolls on a test strip inserted therebetween, a test device comprising:

an elongated body with an open front end; an elongated clamp slide having a front end projecting from the front end of the body and slideably guided by a fixed guide at the front end of the body; spring means within the body operatively disposed between said body and said clamp slide and retracting the slide into said body; test strip engaging means secured on the front end of said clamp slide externally of the body and adapted to engage a test strip extending forwardly therefrom parallel to the length of said clamp slide whereby manual rearward pulling forces on said body are applied through said spring means and clamp slide tensionally to a said test strip engaged between said rolls; a longitudinal slideway along the body including a longitudinal body slot opening into the body; an indicator slide on said slideway cooperatively engageable through said slot with an element carried by said clamp slide and upon forward movement of the clamp slide moveable in a forward displacement equal to that of the slide and left in displaced position upon retraction of the clamp slide; and a test strip releasably held in said engaging means; said test strip being comprised of thin spring metal shim stock having a central aperture near one end, and said strip engaging means including a projection removeably engageable in said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1921 Great Britain 73-141 CHARLES A. RUEHL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 73-94; 33-182 

